


Of burning and Kisses

by Ewelshy



Series: Jaydick One-Shots [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bruce Wayne is a Good Dad, Burning, Dicks soulmark thinks that his soulmate is dead, F/M, He’s so proud, M/M, Panic Attacks, Soulmarks, Soulmates, beach party, jaydick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-27 16:38:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17770403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ewelshy/pseuds/Ewelshy
Summary: Jason had never met his soulmate and didn’t particularly want to. He knew no one would want a messed-up murderer like the Red Hood as a soulmate, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle the emotional fallout if hedidmeet his soulmate.Soulmate Au





	1. Of Burning and Kisses

Soulmate AU- in which every person has a mark on their body, identical to their soulmate’s. The soul bond is secured through direct skin-to-skin contact.

 

Jason had never met his soulmate and didn’t particularly want to. He knew no one would want a messed-up murderer like the Red Hood as a soulmate, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle the emotional fallout if he _did_ meet his soulmate. 

He did however know of several soulmate pairs within their family; Bruce and Selina were linked through black claw marks on their left shoulders, Tim and Conner each had two small silver bands around their ankles, and Damian and Jon both had a yellow paw print on the bottom of their feet. 

Jason knew of a few others, but one person he didn’t know about was Dick; the ever smiling, ever optimistic asshole that had been engaged _twice_ but had never managed to tie the knot. When ever the topic of soulmates had been bought up, Dick either shied away from the conversation or went silent and withdrawn for the next few hours.

He hadn’t noticed at first, when he’d just come back from the dead, but after over two years of staying away from the family and a bunch of failed attempts at reconciliation, Jason had finally struck up the courage to ask Bruce about it. He shuffled his way down to Bruce’s study, feeling like he was on the way to the headmaster’s office. The knocks echoed around the corridor.

“Yeah?”

Jason opened the door and Bruce looked shocked for a few seconds before pushing away from his desk and beckoning Jason inside.

“Jason- what do you need? It isn’t like you to come here.”

Jason shifted from side to side before looking up to Bruce.

“I actually came to ask about Dick’s soulmate; any time that its mentioned, he tends to ignore withdraw himself and I was wondering… if you knew why?”

Bruce sighed and his hand sub-consciously touched his shoulder, where his own mark was. “Its rather complicated. Dick never wanted me to see his soul-mark, I think it was a tradition from the circus, but that meant I _still_ don’t actually know what his soul-mark is, or even _where_ it is. About a year after you… died… neither of us were speaking to each other, but he turned up at the manor one day covered in blood and suit torn. I didn’t understand everything he was saying, but from what I could piece together, his soul-mark began to burn him and the pain drove him almost to the point of insanity. He kept muttering about acid and blood and burning, and how it was hurting and I couldn’t do _anything._ ” Bruce took a breath before carrying on. “Dick won’t tell me what had actually happened that night, not even now. I believe Dick has tried to forget about his soulmate because the burning of the soul-mark is one of the body’s extreme ways of telling you that your soulmate is dead.”

Jason stood in shocked silence for a few minutes as his mind wandered. He knew that the body often reacted badly when a soulmate died before you met them, but _physical pain_? That was new one. Normally, the soul-mark would just fade in colour. 

“Thanks B.” Jason murmured and made his way out.

“Your welcome Jay.”

From then on, Jason didn’t bring up soulmates around Dick at all; anytime they came up, he steered the conversation in a different direction, and relished the grateful look Dick would send him every time. When Tim asked about it, he had said he thought soulmates were something that were too intimate to be discussed in the open. Bruce had given him a small sideways smile from where he was sat when he said that, but he ignored him.

It wasn’t like it was a lie either; Jason hadn’t shown anyone except Bruce has own soul-mark because he didn’t feel conformable about it; they were huge delicate white wings that stretched from the tips of his shoulders to his lower back. When he flexed the muscles in his back, the individual feathers seemed to move with them, and the overall effect often took his breath away. The problem with them being so big was that it was a bit difficult to hide them- he was just lucky that everyone had their own changing room in the Batcave to get ready in, or he would have been outed years ago. 

It was Clark Kent’s birthday when everyone found out.

Bruce had invited Clark to his for dinner and the guest list kept growing; Clark’s parents, Lois, Jonathon and Connor Kent as well as Clark himself, along with the Bat boys, Selina, Barry, Iris and Diana. The event itself wasn’t particularly grand, but the atmosphere was light and happy, with everyone smiling as they chatted with each other. Even Bruce had a genuine smile on his face as he talked with Selina and Iris in the corner of the room. Alfred had been working inside the kitchen tirelessly all day, with both Jason and Dick helping out from time to time. 

When it was finally time to eat, they all bought things into the grand dining room, which had been cleaned and decorated for the occasion. While everyone admired the room, Tim, Damian, Dick and Jason began to get the plates of food from the kitchen to put onto the table. Almost everything had been put onto the table when Dick came into the room with two heavy ceramic bowls full of potaoes balanced on the palms of his hands. He winced at the heat of the bowls on his bear hands and Jason reached for them to get them onto heat-proof mats. But as he reached for the second bowl, his fingers touched, catching as he moved, and Dick let the bowl fall onto the floor with a loud noise as he crumpled to the ground. Jason staggered back until his spine hit the back of a chair and a hand steadied him as he clutched his head in both hands. 

When he looked up, Dick was on his hands and knees and was breathing heavily. He tried to get up before crashing onto his back, and letting out a loud cry of agony at whatever pain he was in, arching his back. Jason leaned forward and almost collapsed when a wave of dizziness passed over him and sparking pain in his back, if not for Bruce, who lowered him to the ground slowly. 

“What _happened?_ ” Clark said helplessly as Dick sobbed out another cry of pain, curling in on himself and jerking away from anyone trying to touch his back. 

Jason felt someone touch his own back and pain burst into his spine, making him grit his teeth and grunt, arching away from the touch and more towards Dick. Everyone gathered around both of them as Jason’s vision blurred around the edges. He wanted to curl into a ball like Dick was doing, but something nagged at him in the back of his mind- how his back felt like it was _burning_ and that was like how Bruce had described Dick to be when his soulmate had died- 

Setting his jaw, Jason dragged himself up and staggered to Dick, falling to his knees next to the whimpering vigilante. The pain in his back was becoming all-consuming and taking over almost every rational thought, so he had to do this fast. 

He _really_ hoped he was right. 

Using the strength he had to his advantage, Jason took hold of Dick’s quivering shoulders and wrenched him up so he was on his knees, glassy-eyes and a single tear making its way down his cheek. The younger of the two reached his right hand up and placed it on Dick’s neck, underneath the jaw- and the pain instantly vanished. 

Dick’s eyes fell shut and he went lax, falling into Jason’s chest as the bliss of having no burning overtook him for a second, and Jason sighed in relief. Dick leaned back and they pressed their foreheads together as a tingling sensation ran over his back; he felt a cord tying him to Dick as they kept up the contact between the two of them. Finally, when it was done, Jason opened his eyes and got up slowly with Dick, both still wobbly on their feet. 

Everyone watched them in concern, dinner forgotten, to see if the problem had been fixed. Bruce eyed them for a second, before his eyes blew wide and the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.

“Soulmates” he breathed, and every person in the room’s jaws dropped in shock. Dick smiled slightly, looking at Jason who looked bewildered. 

Later that night, after everyone had left on either patrol or to go home, Jason and Dick admired each other’s soul-marks, hands intertwined as they did so. 

“I thought my soulmate would be forever lost to me,” Dick murmured, almost to himself, “but now I have another chance. I’m so glad it’s you Jaybird...”

Jason squeezed Dick’s hand and pulled him closer. “I couldn’t ask for a better soulmate Dickie. Though it could have been on another night? When there were less people around to see?” 

Dick laughed slightly before leaning into Jason, and pressing a soft lingering kiss on Jason’s lips before pulling away. “I tried so hard to forget about my soulmate, because I thought it would go away... all this time my soulmate was right next to me and I couldn’t even see it, couldn’t see _you_...”

“I’m not going away Dick,” he said, locking eyes with his soulmate,”I won’t ever go away unless you want me to.”

The next kiss lasted much longer than the first, and Jason finally felt at _home._


	2. Marks and Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another celebration, but one with a touch of panic and a touch of hero.

Dick’s eyes opened slowly as the sun fell onto his eyes from the half-closed blinds. He felt Jason shift and sigh in his sleep next to him and smiled softly at his soulmate.

_Soulmate._

How long had he wanted to forget about his soulmate after that scarring night with Bruce? He had intentionally blocked it out, shutting out any conversations to do with soulmates because it made his chest ache… but now… he had his own soulmate. The events of the previous night came rushing back to him as he stood

Naked except for the boxers that hung loosely on his hips, Dick padded to the large standing mirror, where he twisted slightly and stared at the wings that dipped down his back. He had always loved his soul-marks, even if he tried to ignore them, because they were a symbol of freedom, of flight. They represented his soul in a way that little else could, and he truly appreciated that the person who shared his marks could share the feeling of freedom by his side.

He watched as Jason rolled over onto his side of the bed before waking up and joining him by the mirror.

“No one has seen yours, huh Dickie?” Jason asked softly, running his fingers over the marks.

Dick closed his eyes and sighed before running a hand through his hair. “Not a single person Jaybird… truth is, I didn’t know what a soulmate would mean for me in the long term, being a vigilante and all that. It isn’t uncommon for someone to reject their soulmate in this day and age, but I wasn’t sure if that’s what I would do. Distancing myself from my soulmate, even when the marks first appeared, seemed like the best option for me to save myself from breaking someone else’s heart.”

Jason nodded slowly and circled his arms around Dick’s waist, pulling him against his chest with a touch of possessiveness shooting up his spine. “You don’t have to worry about breaking my heart Dick,” he breathed, “I’ll follow you ‘til I die…again.” He grinned at his own morbid joke even as Dick growled softly under his breath.

“Not if I can help it.”

They made their way downstairs after putting on some clothes, _‘always keep the back covered, never show anyone your back’_ , and entered the kitchen, where a few members of their family were eating breakfast made by Alfred, as always. Dick slid into the seat next to Tim and sipped the coffee that had been pushed into his hands by Bruce, who looked well rested for once. Conner, Jon and of course Selina had stayed the night, but everyone else had made their way home. Bruce had warned the boys that they were _not_ to share a bed, even if it was platonic sharing. All four boys had blushed wildly before hurriedly agreeing. Jason had carried an exhausted Dick up to bed about halfway through the meal, because it was obvious he would have passed out into his food soon, where they had talked before quickly going to sleep.

Bruce coughed to gain their attention, and the talking paused for a second. “I received an invite this morning that we have been invited to Mt. Justice for a celebration for the birthday of Superman. He has asked for it to be on the beach section of the mountain, and for everyone to bring bathing costumes and such to attend. I will attend, and-“

“I will join you, Bruce.” Selina said, sliding into the seat next to him and pressing a soft kiss to his jaw. “He asked me last night if I would be willing to come, and I said yes in a heartbeat.”

Bruce nodded and looked around the table. Tim, Connor and Jon nodded quickly, Damian’s eye twitched but he nodded as well. Jason shifted slightly and dipped his head.

“…not sure I _should_ go Bruce… because… well… not many of the heroes that will most likely be there particularly like me. I know because Diana avoided me all night last night and glared at me every time I looked at her.” Jason’s voice was small and vulnerable, and Dick’s heart clenched painfully. He took Jason’s hand under the table and squeezed it, still sipping his coffee.

Bruce looked Jason dead in the eye before replying in a soft but sure tone. “Jason Todd. You should not care what the others think of you- I know I don’t,” that earned a few snorts, “but what you shouldn’t do avoid them because they disapprove of you. You have family that care for you- the opinions of other people shouldn’t matter. Clark asked me personally if you could come, so there isn’t any way he _didn’t_ mean you. But, if you don’t want to go, then I won’t force you to; it’s your choice.”

The smile on Jason’s face was small, but very genuine. The talk around the table resumed to easier topics. Dick though, he was facing a major problem.

Going to the beach would mean they would want him to swim… that would mean him going in the water shirtless… and that would reveal not only his scars, but his soul-mark as well. Any time he had swam in the past, he had swum in a shirt (not they had time to swim recreationally anyway) or he was in his Nightwing suit. He knew that Jason was probably facing the same problem. Alfred quickly took the empty mug from his fingers, ignoring how the young man’s fingers trembled slightly when he did so.

 

Dick ran a shaking hand through his dark hair as they got themselves ready for the party.

“You know, Bruce isn’t making you go. You could skip out on it if you’re really not comfortable with everyone seeing… everything. If it’s any consolation to you, I don’t particularly want everyone to see the scars that were left after I died.” Jason murmured when the quiet of the room felt too oppressive.

Dick shook his head, breathing slightly too quick to be considered normal. “They’re expecting me there Jay, if I don’t go, then they’ll think something’s up, or that I don’t care, and I can’t miss Clark’s celebration after creating problems yesterday- besides, I don’t want to leave you to the wolves, do I?”

He pressed a soft chaste kiss on the underside of Jason’s jaw and got up. “Come on, everyone’ll think we’ve left through the window if we don’t show up soon.”

When they arrived at the party, Dick began to feel his tense muscles relax slowly to the sound of laughter and the smell of BBQ. He slung the duffle bag over his shoulder and placed it on the floor, feeling the hot sun on his face and bare arms… but not his chest or torso. Not quite _that_ confident yet. Jason slipped his hand into Dick’s and pulled him towards where Clark was enjoying a hot dog in the shade, talking with Lois, who hadn’t been able to make it the night before.

“Hiya Clark!” Dick said, fear draining out of him as his uncle turned to him and beamed a smile. They embraced for a second before Clark pulled back and placed a firm hand on Jason’s shoulder, pride radiating from his whole being.

“I’m glad both of you could make it. Sleep well?” 

Dick rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and his cheeks flushed. “Yeah- thanks Clark. Sorry for causing problems yesterday… I mean, it kind of caused more drama than we were expecting for you.”

Lois frowned and looked at them suspiciously. “What happened last night? You said it wasn’t eventful.”

Jason snorted but bit his lip while it was Clark’s turn to flush. “Ah… well… I’ll explain later, ‘kay?”

Lois sighed but smiled all the same.

Dick sat himself in one of the chairs that made up the bar that had been set up away from the water. He watched as his younger brothers ran into the water to join the various members of the JL, Titans and Young Justice in the water. It seemed everyone was in the water- his eyes stayed on Damian and Tim mainly, seeing how a few of the heroes gave them sideways glances because of their scars. He bared his teeth at them and they quickly turned their gazes away.

Jason leaned back in his chair and ordered a drink for them both, basking in the strong heat of the day. “We need to come here more often Goldie- its so much warmer than Gotham. Also, I can hear you thinking- would you please _relax_ Dick.” Jason couldn’t believe it was _him_ saying this to Dick, he though it would be the other way around to be honest, with him being nervous about being surrounded by so many other heroes. Guess he was wrong.

A couple of hours into the celebration and Dick had finally relaxed fully- granted, he had had some alcohol to help, but not loads. Barely enough for him to feel it, he wasn’t a lightweight anyway. He had chatted with some of his friends, even told some of them of his recent soul-bond to Jason. They had been surprised, but not disapproving; that had given him a lot of confidence.

He had seen glimpses of Bruce throughout the day but hadn’t really seen him too many times. It seemed he was hanging around with Clark and Diana, as well as Barry and Hal. Tim and Damian had stayed in his sights the whole time, as they seemed to understand that he was slightly on edge and needed a semblance of control to relax.

The problem seemed to be everyone trying to get him into the water. 

All of his friends had spent the majority of their time in the water, so had many of the other people celebrating Clark’s birthday. Hell, even Bruce had got into the water with Selina once or twice. Cyborg wasn’t at the party because it was his Dad’s birthday, so there was almost _no one_ who hadn’t been in the water. 

He looked at Jason, who was slowly sipping his drink while watching the water. He felt Dick’s eyes on him and turned his eyes away from the sea. “What?” he asked softly.

Dick swallowed and rubbed his arms. “I think I would like people to see my soul-mark… and scars… when I’m happy for them to see them, instead of, you know… by accident.”

Jason nodded and took Dick’s hands in his, kissing them slowly. “Only if you want to, okay? No one is making you do this. I do agree with your reasoning though. I would probably go down better here than if your costume was ripped on a mission and someone questioning you then.”

Ignoring the building fear in his chest, he stood up with Jason, who’s fingering hesitated slightly before pulling his black top over his head and placing it on top of the duffle they bought. Dick saw Bruce in the corner of his eyes nodding slowly with a small smile of pride on his face. Taking a deep breath, Dick pulled the corners of his top up towards his shoulders. When his hands were shaking too much to get it over his head, he felt Jason tug it over his head.

Keeping his eyes locked with Jason’s, he stilled his breathing as much as he could, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from running away from the eyes that he knew were watching him. Jason smiled softly at him and he straightened up, imagining the wings on his back rippling as he did so. He heard a small gasp from behind him but didn’t turn to see who it was; he gripped Jason’s hand and they made their way towards the waters, eyes locked onto Tim. 

His brother was smiling with fierce pride on his face. Jason kept walking with his, both of their scars on show to the world. Suddenly, pride bloomed in his chest, fighting the fear that had settled there. He had got these scars protecting Gotham. He had got these scars fighting some of the world’s worst villains. He had got these scars protecting his _family_.

As they got into the water, the talking going on around quietened but didn’t stop, probably due to the fact that it was clear that neither Dick nor Jason looked happy to be the centre of attention. Tim threw a ball to Jason, who caught it easily. They proceeded to have a heated game of catch that took over much of their attention... but Dick could _feel_ their stares. He knew they were looking at his back and chest and torso, at his scars from swords and knives and burns... he would have been fine if not for the fingers that had brushed along a particularly bad scar along his side. 

“Dick, hey breathe with me, okay? You need to steady your breathing, you’re practically hyperventilating. Dickie, come on, _breathe_ damnit.” 

But Bruce had seen what had happened. Bart Allan had been watching Dick from the moment he had taken off his shirt, apparently looking for something. When they had been playing, Bart had touched Dick’s side, and as hyper alert as Dick was, Bart’s action may have triggered a panic attack. He knew Dick had been aware of everyone watching him- he wasn’t deaf either, so he could hear the whispered conversations around him about what the scars were from, who inflicted them. 

When Dick started to hyperventilate, Bruce made his way over to his sons, but was pleased to see that Jason had already claimed his eldest. Bart backed away, shocked, and Bruce let him go- he should have known better, but speedsters tended to be impulsive. Dick leaned into Jason, lowering himself in the water as him and Jason slipped in. Jason kept a tight grip on his waist to keep him from drowning. 

Bruce placed a hand in Jason’s shoulder and nodded, the smile on his face giving him a sense of warmth and belonging. Dick nuzzled into Jason in the water, and Jason was happy just stay like this for a while. People began to whisper quietly, almost silently, and Dick whispered softly. “Why can’t they leave me alone Jason, it was a bad idea to come here...”

Jason did agree, but... “We’re here now Dickie, so we can enjoy the rest of the celebration while B runs interference if you like.”

“...And by interference you mean him glaring at everyone.” Dick snorted quietly and giggled. It made Jason happy to hear that sound when only moments ago Dick was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack. 

“Hey, you said it, not me.” 

Even when they were outt he water and dressed again, people gave them sideways glances that made him growl and Dick set his jaw. They raised their glasses to Clark and for the protection of the people of Earth, but the glances didn’t stop. Finally, Dick snapped. 

“Of you have something to ask, then fucking _ask_ alright?” Everyone looking quickly avoided his eyes, or muttered an apology, and Dick felt some of his anger receed. They were just curious. 

As the celebration carried into the evening, a few people came and asked him about a scar or two, many people complimented how well his soul-marks suited him. Sighing, Dick realised that showing everyone his scars and soul-marks probably wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened. Towards the end of the evening, Bart came up to Dick and apologised profusely, looking horribly guilty and sad that he had caused Dick pain and panic, but Dick just hugged him and smiled. 

When they got home, Dick threw himself onto the sofa and sighed dramatically. “I am never doing that again.” He announced. 

Bruce snorted at his son’s dramatics. “You don’t have to. You know how many people I had asking me if you got the scars from protecting people in Gotham?” His voice turned serious for a second. “What you did today took a lot of courage and strength, from both of you. I am _so very proud_ to call you my sons, you are both true heroes.” 

“Thanks Bruce” Jason whispered, tears shining in his eyes. Dick looked at Bruce and smiled and easy smile. 

When he slipped into bed that night, he looked at himself in the mirror and for once didn’t see scars... he saw lives being saved. He saw himself as a hero. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Errrrr... you like?  
> -E

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun to write, any prompts you’d like to see? Comment and kudos! Until next time!  
> -E
> 
> Also- this two-shot is finished, but I'm having problems setting the number of chapters because AO3 is playing up.


End file.
